Lithium (Li) mining/extraction has gained interest in North America, including in Canada, over the past 10 years. Emerging “Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)” technologies provide a necessary means to selectively separate Li from sedimentary brines, even at concentrations below 100 ppm. This method is environmentally friendly, with lower land and water usage compared to traditional mining/extraction methods. Currently, DLE is thought to be a sustainable way to build a local supply chain for lithium and other critical minerals in western Canada.

Among the problems associated with using the DLE method to extract Li from sedimentary waters are high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) and dissolved organic compounds (DOC). High TOC and DOC levels decrease the usable life of DLE adsorbents. Over the past few years, our group has researched this problem to find innovative ways to extend the life of solid-phase DLE sorbents without using brine pretreatment methods, thus maintaining low operating costs. Our innovative methods have resulted in a patent-pending sorbent that can extract Li with substantially lower material loss. This project aims to develop additional adsorbents that approach the lower theoretical limits of material loss, thereby increasing the life cycle and improving the overall economics of the DLE process.